PSA 8 and 9 HOF Stars vs Older Unopened Wax

Dialj

So, I recently rearranged some funds in my sports card account. I am looking for a better return "way down the road". From all the experience of the CU Board, which is a better option ... buy high end stars or older unopened wax boxes? My thinking is that eventually both will "dry up" and become harder to get. I doesn't necessarily have to be baseball.

Example: 1959 Mays in PSA 8-9 vs a box of one box of 1978 or two boxes of 1979 Topps

I look forward to all comments.

MBMiller25

High end Big Name HOFers, I.E. Mays, Mantle, Aaron, Clemente, Koufax, Ryan.......

Yankees001

Either way you should do OK. Old Wax is/will dry up and prices will sky rocket. High Grade Stars will always command a premium.

I don't see a down side either way.

Dave

itzagoner

with a nod to the names on Matt's list, i prefer to chase 'em raw, get 'em graded, and then see a value increase right from the initial slabbing.

you can't get that with unopened product, unless you happen upon a crazy assortment of stuff slightly below retail, so at least there's a little breathing room.

as is being proven here, the value of the packs within the box sometimes depends on what can get graded with visible stars or pristine condition.

the concept of "old wax will dry up" was a topic of interest 20+ years ago. maybe more. hasn't happened yet.

i think the "way down the road" is a very long way.

NVbaseball

If any of us were able to predict the future better than the market can, we would have already earned our $100 million

Baseball cards from the 50s through the 70s have a pretty good track record -- from pennies into thousands. If that continues you'll do very great with either purchase

jmmiller777

YA, I gotta do the same thing, I am all over the place. I think my new strategy is to continue with master Herirage sets first, then finish up the 66-69 sets. I gotta let something go, maybe my 75 mini set and my PSA run of Kelloggs. I might just start buying the Topps annual sets boxed.

Cakes

<< <i>So, I recently rearranged some funds in my sports card account. I am looking for a better return "way down the road". From all the experience of the CU Board, which is a better option ... buy high end stars or older unopened wax boxes? My thinking is that eventually both will "dry up" and become harder to get. I doesn't necessarily have to be baseball.

Example: 1959 Mays in PSA 8-9 vs a box of one box of 1978 or two boxes of 1979 Topps

I look forward to all comments. >>



Strictly to save space I have been buying older high end stars. The boxes start to add up.

shu4040

tough question: buying the stars to save space is a huge plus, however, the unopened product will only be decreasing in number over time as people over them.

the 50s and 60s high grade PSAs will only INCREASE in number as lots of older collectors have these cards still unslabbed. with that, i've focused more on buying unopened, however, the amt of fake packs/boxes definitely concerns me

MattyC

To me the two most salient points to keep in mind are:

1. Size of market: unopened is still more of a niche compared to collectors of HOFers.

2. Buyer confidence: I think the average buyer will have less trepidation pulling the trigger on a slabbed star than any piece of allegedly unopened material, no matter the authentication.

I love both, but if pressed to only choose one, I'd go blue chip single cards.

The PSA 9 HOFer is a known quantity; there is no uncertainty there.